The Bridge Builders Foundation
Bridge Builders Foundation is a Los Angeles-based nonprofit founded in 1998 that delivers STEM education, mentorship, scholarships, and community programming to youth of color — particularly African American male students — across 500+ school and community partner sites throughout Los Angeles.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1998
- HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Bridge Builders Foundation does
The Bridge Builders Foundation is a Los Angeles-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit formally established in 1998, having grown from an African American male scholarship initiative launched in 1982 that has since awarded over $1.5 million in scholarships. The organization delivers four interconnected program pillars: STEM Education (including the Dr. Ernest E. Just Saturday Science Academy, residential marine science camps hosted at USC Wrigley Marine Science Center, UC San Diego, and CSU Monterey Bay, and after-school math and science tutoring); Mentorship & Leadership (anchored by the Thriving Under the Influence Mentor Program with 100+ professional African American male mentors); the Start to Finish Scholars Program (a longitudinal pipeline supporting African American male students from high school through college completion); and Community Initiatives (financial literacy, health awareness workshops, civic engagement, and racial tolerance programming).
The organization operates without proprietary technology, relying instead on a third-party registration platform (AfterSchoolHQ) and community-based program delivery. Its business model is donation-and-grant-funded: individual contributions, corporate sponsorships (Southern California Edison, LA Metro, MUFG Union Bank, AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Enterprise Holdings), and foundation grants (notably a $200,000 Weingart Foundation grant in 2023 and a recent OpenAI Foundation relationship in 2025). All programs are provided free of charge to youth and families. With 11–50 employees plus intern support, Bridge Builders reaches approximately 3,000 youth and families annually, employs 75+ youth per year ages 16–24 through paid job readiness programming, and reports documented outcomes of 57% four-year and 84% six-year undergraduate degree completion among Start to Finish Scholars since 2010 with fewer than 4% dropout.
The Bridge Builders Foundation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Bridge Builders Foundation
- Legal name
- Bridge Builders Foundation
- Website
- https://bridgebuildersla.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1998
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Bridge Builders Foundation is a Los Angeles-based nonprofit founded in 1998 that delivers STEM education, mentorship, scholarships, and community programming to youth of color — particularly African American male students — across 500+ school and community partner sites throughout Los Angeles.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Bridge Builders Foundation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Youth Development Services
- akta.pro primary industry
- Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAD)
Keywords
Where The Bridge Builders Foundation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Los Angeles
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Bridge Builders Foundation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: Individual and corporate donations from supporters. Donations fund academic enrichment, mentorship programs, college scholarships, and community outreach initiatives.
- Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors provide financial and in-kind support in exchange for association with the organization's mission and community engagement. Organizations like Southern California Edison, LA Metro, Union Bank/MUFG, AHF, and others sponsor programs.
- Program Fees and Registration: Some programs utilize registration systems through platforms like AfterSchoolHQ for program enrollment and participation management.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
The Bridge Builders Foundation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Bridge Builders Foundation is a Los Angeles-based nonprofit that provides youth development programs for youth of color, particularly African American students. It delivers free STEM education, mentorship and leadership development, college scholarships, financial literacy training, and community health initiatives through school-based, Saturday, summer residential, and community workshop formats. Programs are delivered directly to youth and families at no charge, funded primarily through donations and corporate sponsorships.
Product overview
Bridge Builders Foundation offers a multi-program platform focused on youth development across Los Angeles. The core portfolio includes STEM Education Programs (featuring the Dr. Ernest E. Just Saturday Science Academy, Summer Marine Science Camps, and Mathematics & Science Tutoring), Mentorship & Leadership (including the Thriving Under the Influence Mentor Program), the Start to Finish Scholars Program providing comprehensive academic and career support, and Community Initiatives encompassing financial literacy, health awareness, civic engagement, and social equity. These interconnected programs work together to provide continuous support from early education through college completion and career readiness.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Dr. Ernest E. Just Saturday Science Academy: STEM program serving 100+ students annually with 200+ hours of STEM instruction, running January-June with summer marine science experience for elementary, middle, and high school students.
- Thriving Under the Influence Mentor Program
Products and services
- STEM Education Programs Year-round STEM learning experiences exposing youth to real-world science, technology, engineering, and math opportunities through hands-on lessons, field trips, and exposure events. Designed for youth of color across Los Angeles.
- Mentorship & Leadership Program connecting youth with trusted adult role models providing encouragement, guidance, and pro-social values through regular mentoring sessions and leadership experiences grounded in Positive African American Youth Development.
- Start to Finish Scholars Program Comprehensive support initiative for African American male students providing mentoring, academic coaching, career readiness resources, and financial assistance from high school through higher education.
- Community Initiatives Community-facing initiatives supporting financial literacy, health awareness, civic engagement, and social equity through education, outreach, and grassroots partnerships for youth, families, and community members across Los Angeles.
- Dr. Ernest E. Just Saturday Science Academy Saturday science academy serving 100+ students annually with 200+ hours of STEM instruction, featuring a 3-day, 2-night residential experience at USC Wrigley Marine Science Center for elementary, middle, and high school students.
- Summer Marine Science Camps All-expenses-paid residential summer camps at UC San Diego and CSU Monterey Bay offering immersive marine science experiences for 11th-12th grade students.
- Mathematics & Science Tutoring After-school and Saturday math and science tutoring partnering with schools across Los Angeles and Long Beach, including the Long Beach Math Collaborative at David Starr Jordan High School.
- Thriving Under the Influence Mentor Program Mentoring, coaching, and leadership initiative served by over 100 professional African American men, integrating Healing-Centered Engagement with culturally relevant guidance for African American youth.
Companies that use The Bridge Builders Foundation
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The Bridge Builders Foundation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Bridge Builders Foundation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- Long Beach Math CollaborativecorePartnership delivering evidence-based, college-preparatory STEM instruction at David Starr Jordan High School in Long Beach, supporting the Math and Science Tutoring program with collaborative curriculum and instruction.
- University of Southern California (USC) Wrigley Marine Science CentercoreHost venue for the Dr. Ernest E. Just Saturday Science Academy culminating 3-day, 2-night residential experience, providing hands-on marine science learning environment for youth
- UC San Diego Marine Science CampcorePartner institution for all-expenses-paid residential summer marine science camps for 11th-12th grade students, offering immersive coastal STEM experiences
- CSU Monterey Bay Marine Science CampcorePartner institution for all-expenses-paid residential summer marine science camps for 11th-12th grade students, providing marine science and ocean conservation activities
- Southern California EdisonsupportingCorporate sponsor supporting youth development programs and community initiatives through financial contributions and partnership programs
- LA MetrosupportingCorporate sponsor providing support for community programs and youth development initiatives
- MUFG Union BanksupportingCorporate sponsor supporting financial literacy and scholarship programs through corporate philanthropy
- AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF)supportingHealthcare foundation sponsor supporting community health initiatives and health awareness programming
- AfterSchoolHQsupportingTechnology platform partner enabling online program registration and enrollment management for youth programming
- Los Angeles County Anti-Racism, Diversity, and Inclusion InitiativesupportingPolicy collaboration focused on systemic change and equity-centered community leadership
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
The Bridge Builders Foundation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Boys & Girls Clubs of America: National youth development nonprofit providing afterschool programming, mentorship, and STEM/education enrichment. Comparable as a youth-services nonprofit serving similar demographics with similar program pillars (education, mentorship, leadership), but at vastly greater scale and broader scope.
- KIPP Foundation: National charter school network focused on college readiness for underserved students. Comparable mission around college access and completion for underrepresented youth, though delivered through schools rather than out-of-school programming.
- National Urban League: Historic civil rights and urban advocacy organization with programs in education, workforce, and youth development. Comparable as a community-based nonprofit serving African American populations with education and economic mobility programming.
- Year Up: Workforce-development nonprofit providing young adults with training, mentorship, and corporate internships. Comparable on the youth-employment, career-readiness, and corporate-partnership dimensions, though serving a slightly older age range.
Direct peers
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of America: Mission-aligned youth mentoring nonprofit pairing adult volunteers with youth for long-term mentoring relationships. Directly comparable as a youth-mentoring organization measuring long-term outcomes for underserved youth populations.
- United Negro College Fund (UNCF): National nonprofit providing scholarships and educational support to African American students. Highly comparable given Bridge Builders' scholarship focus on African American male scholars and similar college-readiness and persistence goals.
- Posse Foundation: Nonprofit identifying and supporting cohorts of underrepresented students through college completion and career readiness. Closely comparable to the Start to Finish Scholars Program in targeting college persistence and graduation outcomes for underrepresented youth.
- iMentor: Nonprofit pairing low-income students with adult mentors for college readiness and persistence. Closely comparable one-on-one mentorship model targeting college completion outcomes for underrepresented youth.
- Summer Search: Youth development nonprofit providing mentoring, experiential learning (including summer programs), and college/career support to low-income students. Comparable longitudinal mentorship and college-persistence model.
Regional players
- UNCF Los Angeles: Regional affiliate of UNCF providing local scholarships and student support in Los Angeles. Comparable as a LA-based scholarship provider for African American students and a potential coordination partner in the same metro.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Bridge Builders Foundation social profiles
Digital presenceThe Bridge Builders Foundation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Bridge Builders Foundation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
The Bridge Builders Foundation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors3 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Bridge Builders Foundation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Bridge Builders Foundation
What does The Bridge Builders Foundation do?
The Bridge Builders Foundation is a Los Angeles-based nonprofit that provides youth development programs for youth of color, particularly African American students. It delivers free STEM education, mentorship and leadership development, college scholarships, financial literacy training, and community health initiatives through school-based, Saturday, summer residential, and community workshop formats. Programs are delivered directly to youth and families at no charge, funded primarily through donations and corporate sponsorships.
Is The Bridge Builders Foundation a public or private company?
The Bridge Builders Foundation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The Bridge Builders Foundation founded?
The Bridge Builders Foundation was founded in 1998. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The Bridge Builders Foundation based?
The Bridge Builders Foundation is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Bridge Builders Foundation make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Donations and Charitable Contributions are the primary driver. The others are corporate Sponsorships and program Fees and Registration.
Who are The Bridge Builders Foundation's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Boys & Girls Clubs of America, KIPP Foundation, National Urban League and Year Up. Direct peers are Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, United Negro College Fund (UNCF), Posse Foundation, iMentor and Summer Search. UNCF Los Angeles is listed as a regional player.
Does The Bridge Builders Foundation have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Bridge Builders Foundation.
What industry is The Bridge Builders Foundation in?
The Bridge Builders Foundation's product category is Youth Development Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGADAD, Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits.